


Dreams From The Inner Palace

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: Ancient China setting, Competition, Concubines, Consorts - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Fictional historical figures, Fictional settings, Gay Sex, Inspired by Tang Dynasty, Jealousy, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scheming, Slash, Smut, The Emperors unending appetite for gay sex, The Royal Harem, War, everywhere, mostly slash yes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 08:16:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6110563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about a peasant whom became a child concubine of a judge, selected as one of the Emperor's concubines in the inner palace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning

Zhao Yun brought back gifts from the northern plantations to Xiao Qu, the daughter of his husband. He was a mere concubine, married off at the age of twelve to Lord Sun Feng, a district judge in Luoyang. When he was given to his aging husband in his forties, it was raining heavily. His family couldn’t afford shelter nor a carriage, so he decided to make the joyful trek to his new home by foot. Mud splashed everywhere and Zhao Yun’s red shoes were soaked with dirty rain water and stained brown, not a hint of festivity left. His wedding gown was woven together by his father and mother using a simple but very itchy fabric. They sewed on yellow and blue stripes across the top of his gown and at the ends of it.

 

He remembered his father kissing his forehead and giving him a purple jade bracelet, a heirloom passed down from generations since their ancestors landed on Ava Khi. Their bloodline can be traced back to a country far away from the Wei Empire, where climates were intensely hot and humid, and people wore short skirts. Then, his ancestors migrated during the Wu dynasty, and they had remained there ever since. Everyone has their ancestry traced back in their kin registry books. A book which every family has, with every name in the family listed and details of whom had married whom. A relatively wealthy man like Lord Sun Feng would have a larger kin registry than his, due to the mass of their wealth they could afford to have more children, and concubines.

 

However, Lady Sun was a competitive woman, extremely beautiful and socially graceful as well. She is well-liked by the servants and is very capable of assisting her husband in his court duties, such as hearing out the complaints of their village. Lady Sun was a model of a perfect wife to her dear husband, though deep inside she was lonely and Zhao Yun thought her to be a tragic figure. Before Zhao Yun was even born, his Lord loved Lady Sun very much over the course of their two decades marriage. They were a couple genuinely in love, the illustrations of the couple hung throughout the mansion, and lots of portraits of Lady Sun’s voluptuous figure. However, Lady Sun had five miscarriages, each one throwing her into the deep wells of depression, submerging her into its darkness until she could no longer smile anymore. It’s a tradition for every family to have at least one child, because continuing their own lineage is the most important aspect of living. Zhao Yun wasn’t surprised when Lady Sun gave her handmaid, surname Chen, to her husband. Her job was to bear a child for the Sun family, and the product of their union is Xiao Qu. Soon after, the handmaid was fired, under mysterious circumstances. In Zhao Yun’s best guess, the handmaid probably offended Lady Sun and revered in her newfound position as a concubine. Now, Lady Sun is often a very kindhearted mistress to her servants before her miscarriages. Clearly, the handmaid had somehow shoved in Lady Sun’s about her infertility, thus resulting in her expulsion.

 

Now, he was barely 4 years older than Xiao Qu, and felt embarrassment every time he was addressed as the ‘side’ by Xiao Qu. Thankfully, his old husband never touched him on that night, despite that he is now owned by him. Lord Sun Feng felt that Zhao Yun was much too young for him, and asked Zhao Yun to call him Uncle Sun. His intentions weren’t to buy the little boy, he only graciously took him in at the request of his parents, whose harvest was destroyed by the drought. When he had turned 13, he was sent to the field up north along with the other servants, decades older than he is. He was trained by one of the burly women, her name is Lv Hai. To fund the Sun’s family kitchen, they had to farm an abundance of crops to send back to the mansion, to cook the freshest meals for their dinners. Zhao Yun and Lv Hai farmed up wheat mostly, and from time to time they had been on the lychee picking runs. Apparently, only the nobility could afford lychees, therefore Zhao Yun had only went four times to pick lychees for Lady Sun throughout his service to them. Now, Zhao Yun is 17, so he brought back a mutated lychee for Xiao Qu. While everyone was distracted, Zhao Yun found a lychee with another lychee growing out of it, it kind of looked like a posterior. He picked it up immediately and internally laughed for a few minutes, then he thought, “I must give this to the little miss!”.

 

When he got back, the head servant, Madame Guo, told him to assist Xiao Qu when she goes to school. The school was an all-girls only school, each daughter came from a wealthy family. Daughters of merchants, judges and scholars alike are placed together in a room to reach their full potential, and eventually, they might one day get a well-to do job. Zhao Yun walked into the spacious room of Xiao Qu and helped her with her hair, tying them into pigtails and securing them with golden bands. “Is school fun?”, he asked.

Xiao Qu shook her little head. The pigtails bobbed  up and down. “It’s boring,” she replied.

The thirteen year old took the lychee from her table but she didn’t peel it.

 

“Father is spending way too much money,” she finally said.

“What do you mean?” he inquired.

“I mean, a district judge doesn’t make THAT much, soon he will have to go to the upper judges and ask for more allowance,” she rolled her eyes.

Zhao Yun stopped in his tracks, a hairpin still in his hands. He thought that the Sun family could afford to live in luxury, since a Judge does earn more than a mere peasant farmer like his parents. He supposed, he doesn’t understand the class above him. He could only wonder what it is like to not hike up the mountains to collect water from the wells, and instead having servants do it for them. Servant put their lives at stake in the mountains, because there are many wild boars living there. Once, he had tripped over when he was being chased, causing him to have huge gash across his shin. When he had arrived back, no bucket in hand, he was spanked ten times and was told to retrieve the water again. Since that day, he wouldn’t dare place his wishes above his masters.

 

“A new concubine is coming to the household,” Xiao Qu informed. Yes indeed, he had heard news of a Luoyang beauty coming in to warm the bed of Sun Feng.

“He’s going to show him off to the other district judges,” she said with an annoyed tone.

Zhao Yun stuck a hairpin with blue jewels dangling from it into the headdress attached to the top of her head. He didn’t want to say anything to offend the people of importance in the mansion. When he finished, Xiao Qu quickly hopped off the chair and reached out for her school bag. The servant handed her the bag containing various scriptures about philosophy and whatsitnames. “Have a nice day,” the servant chimed in, as Zhao Yun led Xiao Qu to her carriage. It’s going to be his first time going to a school since he was five, and the teenager couldn’t be more excited. He walked beside the carriage as the horsemen began to move, trying his best to keep up with the fast pace. Sun Feng worked in a village quite far away from the school, which is located about a few kilometres away. The travelling to and from takes a few hours, but in the meantime they get to transition to a series of valleys into the Fu river which runs along the Zhong border in the heart of the country, where most education institutes are built in.

 

Xiao Qu’s school in particular, focuses on philosophy and practicing their comprehension skills. With that, they would write essays concerning issues in society. For recreational activities they learn how to paint and write poetry. Most schools are not as prestigious as the school Xiao Qu goes to, a lot of them are paid by the government so the nearby village kids could have some education. The ones whom specialise in transforming young children into masterminds tend to be funded by various wealthy people. Such as, the school in Luoyang for business studies are funded by Lady Cai, a businesswoman whom hailed from Xiangdong.

 

“Xiao Qu!” called out one of the girls. The horses stopped and Zhao Yun lifted his arm up for Xiao Qu to hold on to as she got out of the carriage. A girl with pigtails coiled on the side of her head, came running up to Xiao Qu. She is wearing the school uniform, a red wrap around skirt with a white blouse, but she has her family emblem embroidered into her blouse. Xiao Qu’s family emblem has a sun with a funny looking face.

 

“It’s so good to see you,” Xiao Qu addressed the girl. They held hands while walking to the classroom. Zhao Yun took his place standing outside the door, eager to assist Xiao Qu whenever she needs him. A few other servants stood outside as well, some are chattering amongst themselves and some are half-awake. Zhao Yun kept his mouth shut and listened to the incoherent sentences the teacher was saying. A servant waved a hand over his face and Zhao  Yun didn’t pay them any attention. “Don’t bother me,” he said.

 

Afterwards, he served lunch for the little miss, and collected the dishes when she was finished. In no time, they were on their way back home, with Zhao Yun walking by the carriage again. On the way home, Xiao Qu fell asleep, holding her knees close to her chest. A glimmer of happiness bloomed in his heart, as he imagined how hard working his little miss is in the classroom.

 

When they arrived, Madame Guo hurried Xiao Qu to the bathtubs, in order to prepare her for a party. Madame Guo had notified the servants that the concubine is coming tonight and Lady Sun decided to throw a celebration party for him. Judging by the twitch of her eyebrow, Zhao Yun could tell that it wasn’t out of genuine kindness, Lady Sun was following common courtesy for a mistress of the house. Zhao Yun was ordered to go down to the kitchens and help plate the food. Many different types of cuisine are being served, such as ground roasted duck, and goat meat with sweetbreads. The other servants around him are carrying small cups with rice wine bottles, he sniffed the aroma of the glutinous rice and its relished in its sweetness. It appears that the new concubine is going to drink the best of their wines for tonight.

 

Consequently, Lady Sun could be spotted sitting outside in the gardens, the bushes decorated with rectangular lanterns and paper filled with good wishes are hung on the tree branches. Lady Sun is seated with an elegant posture whilst being fanned by her two maidservants. Zhao Yun brushed his black hair from blocking his face and walked in tandem with the other servants to place the dishes on the stone tables in an orderly manner. When that’s done, he led Xiao Qu to get her clothes changed to her dinner attire, a gown consisting of floral patterns diagonally across from her left thigh to her right toe. He slid in a few hairpins with preserved yellow peonies attached to them. In his humble opinion, Xiao Qu looked like a doll with pink cheeks and glossy onyx eyes, they’re like beads.

 

Immediately upon the arrival of the new concubine, Zhao Yun resisted to let out a gasp at his stunning face. His skin was absent of scars and acne, looking as smooth as porcelain. He appears to be from a different part of state, his brown red hair suggesting that he may have heritage from the western borders. His nose is upturned with a high bridge structure, he resembled a statue more than a human being. The maids behind him were holding a large chest adorned with gold at the edges. The chest was obviously created out of iron, as the maids were using all their strength to carry the new concubine’s dowry. The concubine dowry must have costed four annual wages for their head servants, perhaps even more.

 

“Welcome Concubine Zhou,” Lady Sun spoke up finally. In response, the man bowed down and placed his head and hands on the ground.

 

“Thank you Lady Sun, I wish you great happiness for you and your family,” he returns. He looked up and beamed a smile at Lady Sun, his red lips curling upwards revealing pearly white teeth. He stood up and brushed off dirt from his wedding gown. Zhao Yun was speechless, that Lord Sun had managed to marry a concubine, whom is beautiful enough to be worthy of an Imperial Consort position at the palace. His actions were graceful, his hands are carefully placed on the sides of his body and his back is straight yet his eyes avoided to meet the eyes of his elder, Lady Sun.

 

Lady Sun seemed to be surprised at the politeness of the new concubine. Lord Sun stepped up and held his wine cup in the air, his eyes travelling down the length of Concubine Zhou’s body. “Today, we will be celebrating the arrival of his gracefulness, Concubine Zhou”.

 

The music began to play, as the rambunctious yet joyful mood filled up the whole garden. Lord Sun Feng’s face lit up as he glanced down at the several silver ingots sitting upon jewelry made from coral reefs. On that very fateful day, Zhao Yun would later learn that Concubine Zhou is a rank higher than him, First Class Attendant Zhou, he would be called. Zhao Yun was titled The Side Attendant since day one. In accordance to the mansion rules, the new concubine is entitled to order him to do tasks for him. Zhao Yun would continue to stay determined that his status as a lowly born peasant from two farmers, would never change. The whole state of Huo, including their towns would remain to be oblivious to the Autumn expedition that Emperor Wei’s cavalry would go on that night. A cavalry, with about a few dozens of soldiers including the commander, were sent on a quest to retrieve a rumoured courtesan of Western Shu ethnicity, to become one of his promising consorts.


	2. The First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhao Yun finds himself exploring an aspect of himself which was never there before.

The celebrations continued, with Lord Sun Feng happy over his bond with a stunning beauty. Zhao Yun and the rest of Xiao Qu's servants escorted her to the big table.

“This is my little daughter, Xiao Qu, she’s thirteen years of age,” introduced Lady Sun. Xiao Qu stepped forward slowly, her eyes were downcast.

“Greetings, Concubine Zhou,” she began, “I like your hair” she said with polite insincerity.

There was an almost effortlessly achievement of silence until Lord Sun Feng broke the ice.

He pointed at Zhao Yun and waved for him to come over, Zhao Yun prepared himself to bow.

“This is my other concubine, Side Zhao, although he refers to me as uncle,” Lord Sun interjected.

Concubine Zhou raised an angular eyebrow, and laid his hand affectionately on Zhao Yun’s shoulder.

“Then you must call me big brother,” he managed to say.

“Yes big brother,” he answered non-committally. He has no romantic attachments towards the judge, but other people have different ideas due to his status. Some people pity him, and some thought that he was incompetent in pleasuring a man. Both were equally as aggravating.

“What a lovely family gathering here, Madame Guo come sit with us,” Xiao Qu offered. She lifted a slice of sweet winter melon pastries and tried to shove it inside Madame Guo’s unmoving mouth.

“Xiao Qu, be a dear and leave Guo alone,” Lady Sun whispered to her teenage daughter. Xiao Qu complied with a huff and crossed her arms. “I like winter melons,” she muttered under her breath. Concubine Zhou took his seat next to Lady Sun while the servants carry the dowry inside the mansion. Judging by the look of his brown eyes, Concubine Zhou seemed to be on guard, giving a sense of uneasiness.

Before Zhao Yun was about to take his place next to Xiao Qu, Madame Guo grasped him at his sleeves. “Come with me,” she commanded. Her crows feet apparent as she frowned. On the way, the elder woman lifted up a wine bottle and wrapped it in her skirt, a servant noticed but a glare soon sent her on her way.

 

They entered the barracks made for the servants to sleep in, a small wooden table was nestled in the right corner with two wooden stools accompanying it. A small plate containing half-eaten sunflower seeds and a cup stained from black tea was left there from last night. “Sit,” she said briskly.

Zhao Yun sat on one of the stools and watched as Madame Guo unraveled her skirt, placing one wine bottle on the table. A shiny glow reflected from its surface, the bottle was quality crafted ceramic. It would be a crime for a servant to steal one of them, but for some reason Zhao Yun wasn’t in the mood for snitching on Madame Guo.

Zhao Yun crossed his arms. “What is the matter, Madame Guo?”

Madame Guo poured some wine into the unwashed cup, sloshing it back and forth. He could smell the distinct sweetness of the rice, had it not been stolen he would’ve asked for a sip. The gentle expression she wore was a rarity, all of a sudden it seemed as if her burdens have been lifted off of her. With a simple drink.

She poured some more wine, not bothering to offer Zhao Yun any. “I feel tired due to the preparation for this new...side concubine, he is very beautiful no? Though a drain on our finances.”

“He’s very radiant, I think,” Zhao Yun replied. He placed his hands on his lap, looking at the discoloured walls behind her. Brown wood merged with red, from what it appears, there are blood stains on the walls. As well as other unsightly liquids, Zhao Yun held the sleeves to his nose, trying to block out the odor. He wasn’t accustomed to such accommodation, as he slept in a tiny room near Lord Sun Feng for convenience purposes. After a while, he knew that Lord Sun Feng has no intention of visiting him at night anytime soon.

As might be expected, his appearance and looks wise could not hold a candle to Concubine Zhou’s beauty. In fact, the general consensus was that Zhao Yun himself could not come up to his standard. His brown eyes are far apart, thus his nose looks a bit broad. His lips are small and have a slight pout to it, his hair is plain black except for the hair near his temples which are bleached slightly by the sunlight, leaving noticeable light brown streaks.

Having grown up in poverty, he had minimal schooling and already was a slow learner. He spent hours and hours everyday on learning how to write his name, and soon he might not even learn how to write his courtesy name. If he could even attain one, as young men hitting their twenties are often given courtesy names from their parents. Naturally, as a concubine on the side, he hadn’t spoken to his parents since the night he was given away. Hence, he had fostered feelings of resentment and jealousy at his lack of ambition, decades of his life will be wasted away being an unwanted concubine. For a while, he preferred to be a head servant like Madame Guo, whom is now chugging the wine away from the bottle.

“Zhao Yun, have you ever thought about making your position official?” the woman asked. She lifted the bottle above her mouth and shook it for more drops. Her face isn’t flushed red nor did she slur her words. Her dark brown eyes glazed over, finding the grime on the table to be interesting. He fiddled with the end of his ponytail, and struggled to come up with a response.

“I-I’m fine just the way I am now,” he said.

“I was just wondering, since you are going to be an adult soon, and I’m not sure if you are going to continue working here, since you will turn eighteen soon,” she repeated with an uncertain tone. She gave a bitter smile, while tenderly rubbing at the rim of the wine bottle. Her voice was concerned and quiet.

“Have you ever thought about getting out of here?” she asked. “I thought maybe, twenty years ago I would’ve joined the army, but that changed. There was a time where I was supposed to be married to this, businesswoman, but I didn’t want to have a family yet...things lead to one another and now I have been working here ever since. In the end, I’m old enough to be your mother but I don’t have any children of my own,” she sighed.

Zhao Yun was at loss for words, he had never knew this about Madame Guo. He thought she was the family's maid since she were young. Like so many other servants in the mansion, everyone had their dreams for their futures no matter how impossible it was.

Madame Guo hiccuped and threw her arms on the table. “I mistakenly believed that, just going with the flow would lead me to where I want to be,” she lamented. Zhao Yun shifted in his seat, and reached out to pat her on her shoulder. She looked up and rested her cheek on the palm of hands, looking solemn. “To be honest with you, Lord Sun Feng isn’t going to last long like this. Sooner or later, he will need to cut down on the spending or else we will be in debt. And no one wants to owe any of those senators money.”

“I do hope that Lord Sun Feng is doing the right thing,” was the only thing he could say. He would doubt the competence of his ‘husband’ some other day, but today was supposed to be a joyous occasion.

“Anyhow, the new mister is kind of mysterious, don’t you think? I say this a lot about everything, but I have a bad feeling about him. I hope he won’t be judgmental and tactless, or so god help me!”. She paused and sighed, her dark brown eyes darkening and drooping.

 

Zhao Yun pondered on her outburst for a moment, certainly everyone was drawn in by Concubine Zhou’s beauty, but he remained emotionally distant. He does have perfect manners and tried to step over the toes of other people. Perhaps it was the way his eyes were fixated on one spot which made him appear emotionless?

A sudden thunk on the table interrupted his thoughts, he glanced at Madame Guo’s drowsy figure. “Madame Guo?” he called out.

The woman murmured something and raised a hand. She kept on whispering so he leant forward.

“Dog...feed…”

Then he was reminded of Gou, the guard dog near the courtyard and the entrance to the Sun’s estate. “Madame Guo, I will feed the dog so stay here okay?” he said before leaving and blowing the candles out.

Gou was a dog with long, thick and white fur, though now the fur is brown because the servants didn’t bother to wash him. He stumbled through the darkness, holding up a lit lamp to find his way to the courtyard. The light from the lamp had a golden glow on the shrubs surrounding him, illuminating the wet green leaves. The stone was cold and hard against his soft soled shoes. “Gou, Gou!” he called out.

No reply came, not even a sound of a dog panting. He trekked further along the footpath, passing by the stone turtle statues right by the courtyards, and near the stairs leading up to the entrance of the estate. With the bowl of food in hand he walked over to where Gou is, and placed the bowl down while he looked around. “I’m getting cold here,” he whispered.

 

He kneeled down and petted the dog affectionately, rubbing his fingers against the fur, clumped up together by dirt and mud. Some servants remained in the gardens, cleaning up the dishes and getting ready to settle for bedtime. Others are loitering and chatting amongst themselves, not paying attention to their work.

 

One of them spoke up about Concubine Zhou. Pang Shu Lin was her name, her hair is cut short with choppy bangs, and her face adorned by brown freckles. Her companion, Liu Xin, was the shortest servant amongst them all. Compared to Madame Guo, Liu Xin only barely reached up to her armpits.

“I saw one of the girls pulling out one of the bed quilts,” she said. Rubbing her hands against each other for warmth. Pang Shu Lin nodded and made way for another servant passing by.

 

“Are they going to wrap him up and deliver him to the Lord?” Pang Shu Lin asked.

“I think they are. I think he is already in the bed, waiting for him,” Liu Xin giggled.

 

Zhao Yun felt sorry for Concubine Zhou, if he were the type to not be attracted to men whom are older enough to be his father, he would find the sight of Lord Sun Feng’s nude body to be revolting. Then again, he supposed Concubine Zhou would tolerate that, seeing as he willingly married him the first place, though he could’ve found a senator judge to marry.

With that, Zhao Yun left to bathe himself and sleep in his small room, absent from any decoration. While he was bathing, he splashed water over his shoulders, as the tub was far too small to fit him. He could only kneel, and pour buckets of water over his head. When he was twelve, he would spend his time leisurely soaking himself within the warm water. Now, he is in a rush to finish washing himself, to make sure the water doesn’t turn cold. After having dressed in his nightly gowns, a simple white robe over his shirt and trousers, he went to dump the dirty bath water by the tree and hurried over to his room.

The young man found himself unable to sleep, the conversation he overheard tonight had left him thinking. He felt bemused by the thought of Concubine Zhou sleeping with limpy Sun Feng. Zhao Yun shifted with his bed sheets, tucking his hair behind his head on the hard pillow. Slowly, he began to drift off, and let the songs from the crickets bring him to a deep slumber.

 

_In a dazed state, he grinned as he was shoved by Zhou Zhongyi on the bedding. That’s what the beautiful man told Zhao Yun to call him, his courtesy name, Zhongyi. His voice could be perceived as soothing, while his fingers brushed against his._

_Zhongyi slowly laid beside, their hands linking together, and brought himself to look at Zhao Yun in the eye. They were both in their nightly clothing, but Zhao Yun’s robe happened to be loose because Zhongyi had fumbled with it when they were walking into the room. The robe fell apart, revealing his slender waist and he gasped, yet did nothing._

_“Your eyes are like crescent moons,” Zhongyi said. He leaned forward and placed his forehead against his. “So bright, so serene”._

_Zhao Yun was in his red undergarments, held together by a band around his neck and strings tied around his back. He was curious to see what Zhongyi would do next, and fell in admiration of the radiance his partner emits. He didn’t want to say anything, so as to ruin the fantasy and the tension they were building up._

_“Is it fine, if I take this off?” Zhongyi tugged at the edge of his undergarment. Zhao Yun nodded and sat up. He looked at Zhongyi expectantly, but decided to make the first move. Feeling bold, he placed a sweet chaste kiss on Zhongyi’s cheek. The undergarments fell revealing his untoned chest. Zhongyi grasped his hands and rubbed his fingers over the back of his hands, then he bent down to kiss them. Embarrassed, Zhao Yun felt himself blush and he is pretty sure that Zhongyi could notice the dent in his trousers, though he was nice enough to not mention it._

_Before Zhongyi went to kiss his neck, Zhao Yun stopped him and brushed a few hair strands away from his face. He grabbed his thin and transparent robe while stripping himself from his trousers. Zhongyi had already removed his own robes and patiently waited for Zhao Yun._

_“Could you...kiss me through this?” Zhao Yun gestured to the robe. He laid back down on the bed and placed the robe on him, and felt the coldness rush through his skin._

_“I want this...to be gentle,” he said._

_“That’s fine,” Zhongyi replied._

_The copper haired beauty slowly starting to kiss his neck softly, and moving down towards his collarbones. His hands held the sides of his waist gently, the way Zhao Yun responded to his touches pleased him._

_After a while, Zhao Yun kissed Zhongyi on the lips, and parted his lips. He rubbed against him and Zhongyi groaned, leaning into his embrace. They held each other tightly and Zhao Yun’s heart felt like it was about to burst from the tender gestures. Quickly, he placed a hand on Zhongyi’s pale chest and pushed him to lay down on the bed as he sat up._

_They kissed again sloppily, while Zhao Yun murmured sweet nothings. He turned around, and blew the candles off, which enshrouded them in complete darkness._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i made a reference there at the end, hint hint its a movie!


	3. The Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wei Empire has not yet conquered over Ava Khi and Western Shu. Even though Western Shu declared for their lands to be untouched but they will serve under the Wei Empire's army, but that isn't good enough for the Ma Clan.

Madame Guo occupied seats at the higher table while Zhao Yun asked for some more wine, to drink to Madame Guo’s improving health. When he was returning to his chambers, he had tripped over the threshold and hit his head onto Madame Guo’s forehead, leaving a ghastly bruise and dignity. To be fair, the threshold was at least a few inches tall, and he had trouble walking because he felt buzzed from the alcohol. He hastily led Madame Guo to the medicine cabinet. “My bad, my bad,” he repeated in a hushed tone. “I’m going to flay you alive,” was her reply. Thankfully, Zhao Yun’s skin remained intact but his fingers were covered in cuts from his hours of pulling out weeds at the gardens, for his punishment. The gardens at the mansion were huge, with various gardeners tending to it everyday in exchange for meals.

A few weeks ago, he was sent to accompany Lord Sun Feng for dinner at the main estate, Lady Sun had coerced him into drinking some rice wine. It was sweet, yet the scent was intoxicating and in the end he had made a foolish sight out of himself. He slurred his speech and mixed up his words, ending his sentences with a completely different meaning. Concubine Zhou abstained from any alcohol as he says his health wasn’t good at the moment, he coughed lightly into his long sleeves throughout the whole dinner. Halfway through he left without even eating much of his food. His hazel coloured eyes were hazy, and he bit his lips a lot, enough to draw blood. Zhao Yun thought him a great actor, he could’ve been a courtesan before, entertaining affluent guests with their white lies. Then, Lord Sun Feng turned his attentions towards to Zhao Yun instead, much to Lady Sun’s chagrin. In return, she had offered him many shots of wine in an act of petty vengeance.  _ She must be turning senile, _ Zhao Yun thought. Nevertheless, he drank the offered cups to do his best to induce Lady Sun to enjoy the night. 

“Oh Yunyun, the new concubine wanted you to come for a visit,” Madame Guo said. 

“I have no idea where he lives though,” he replied, taking another bite of the chicken.

“You don’t know where his chambers are?” she asked with a laugh. “I thought you would be more knowledgeable about these topics!”

He shrugged, and continued to chew slowly in contemplation. Lin Xin told him that his eating habits were unusual, like he’s thinking about all his life decisions while eating making him seem to be unsociable. “I guess I will make an appearance,” he finally said. To prove that he isn’t a jealous and unfavoured concubine, he shall make an entrance to see how Concubine Zhou is doing. Though, it shall not make him any happier to meet the withdrawn man. “Make sure you bring some gifts along with you, but I don’t think you are the type to be inclined to purchases gifts. Nor do you pay attention to the other servants about their lives, considering you have been living here in our quarters. Side Zhao, you could become a servant instead of living a lonely life out there,” Madame Guo remarked. Her attitude is frank and honest. She turned around and extracted a hairpin from her coiffure, her long black hair fell down by her sides. “Come over here and braid my hair for me,” she said to Shu Lin. The younger woman was chattering to Liu Xin, making conversation about the latest escapades of her cat, Zhou Botong. She stood up and walked over to their side reluctantly, and mouthed at Liu Xin to feed Botong in the afternoon for her. 

“I’ll take my leave now,” Zhao Yun said. He nodded at Madame Guo and gave Shu Lin a scathing glare, for she is still taking care of her darned cat. There is only one thing Botong loves to urinate on, and that is in rice bowls. It took them a long time to scrub off the scent of cat piss, none of the servants were Shu Lin herself. He warned her that the next time he sees her with that cat, he will have her thrown out into the laundry room for a long time. Zhao Yun kept his word on a sunny day, when Botong peed in the bowls again, he dragged Shu Lin outside, frightening her that she made every effort to get out from his grasp. The laundry maids are the lowest in the hierarchy of the servants, so they spend all day outside scrubbing at clothes and their skin off with rugged wood. Inside, the whole place is filled with cobwebs and spiders along with occasional rats and their feces. He wrinkled his nose in distaste when he told the maids that there’s fresh meat joining them, while Shu Lin yelped and cried out for his mercy. She worked with the laundry maids for four months, even though he wanted to keep her there for four years but Xiao Qu told him that he could hold a grudge and he can become very intimidating when he’s mad. In the end, Xiao Qu didn’t bother to take his offered hand when she had fell down. “I heard Shu Lin wouldn’t stop crying the other night, I could smell salt in my clothing,” she grumbled to him, as a way of conveying her feelings about his overreaction. 

Afterwards, he reduced her punishment significantly but only for Xiao Qu to not avoid him again. He could hold a grudge very well, but only against adults. The people in authority and supposedly role models for the youth to become law abiding citizens of society, sometimes adults abuse this power and take advantage of the younger ones which made his blood boil. Therefore, everyone was surprised when he, a fifteen year old concubine had Shu Lin, a woman twenty years of age, thrown into a dungeon of dirty clothing. “What a strong-willed spitfire!” Madame Guo commented. 

He sighed and packed away his uneaten rice and vegetables. Like other servants, he washed his own cutlery with the warm water from the well collected during the early morning. “I’m so tired,” Liu Xin complained. She scrubbed away at her plates and winced as the water seeped into her small cuts in her web of her fingers. 

Zhao Yun brushed his wispy fringe away from his face, focused on wiping every bit of grime and oil away. The strength from his hands had chipped a bit of the plate, slithers of white pieces falling down, but no one had noticed. He looked down and breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of blood. “I’m going to put the plates back,” he announced to Liu Xin and took her plates as well. 

When he heard about the news of Concubine Zhou’s rumoured generosity, Zhao Yun became curious about how he will be treated as a concubine of a lower rank. He unconsciously fiddled with his hair, grabbing each side of his hair and forming a bun in the middle of his head, letting the hair of his curls fall over his shoulders. He picked a pomegranate red gown, long and loose on his slim body, and wrapped a patterned shawl around his shoulders. Head held high, he walked towards the estate alone, secretly resolved within himself that what was going to be expected of him, won’t be his short temper. 

He had anticipated the household of Concubine Zhou to be as glamorous as his dowry, but he had came upon on a humble house with limited decorations. The roof is an amber colour, accompanied by elegant script, unreadable by Zhao Yun. The servants were bustling about, some were carrying orchids in vases, while others held rolls of silk fabric. 

He peered inside and stepped over the green threshold, and Concubine Zhou was seated in front of his vanity dresser. He removed the lid from the porcelain box, containing scented red powder. 

“Ah, Zhao- Concubine Zhao, greetings!” shouted one of the servants, whose surname is Peng if he had recalled properly. Zhao Yun nodded as some women turned around and acknowledged his presence with a small bow. 

“Good morning Concubine Zhou,” he finally said. He paused for a moment and looked at the reclining figure of the well dressed beauty. “What are you doing?” he inquired. “And what is that red powder in your palms?” 

“No need for formalities Zhao Yun, and this is cosmetics for your lips,” Concubine Zhou replied. He drew some powder out with a tiny ladle and handed it to Zhao Yun. When he looked closely, the powder was light and well-scented, it reminded him of jasmine. It also felt moist, allowing people to apply it evenly. “The powder you buy in markets have a rougher texture, and less clean in my opinion. If you like, you may take a box,” he offered. Concubine Zhou took out an extremely small piece of wood and dipped it slowly into the powder, then placed his lips over the wood. The rouge highlighted his fair complexion, and suited his cool undertones. 

Zhao Yun blinked and continued to hold onto the powder, wondering what he should do with it. “How do I use this?” he asked Concubine Zhou. No reply came, so Zhao Yun took the wood piece Concubine Zhou was using and attempted to copy the method he used to apply the powder. In the end, his lips felt weird and tingly from the cold moisture in the powder. He wanted to wipe it off immediately, but he hadn’t brought a handkerchief along with him. 

“How do you write your name Zhao Yun?” the elder one asked. Zhao Yun pointed at his palm and slowly reached out to grab it. He wrote out his name on his palm, the only time he was confident in writing. Concubine Zhou’s hands were soft and barred from scars and blisters.

“Do you have a courtesy name?” Concubine Zhou inquired. He didn’t retrieve his hand from Zhao Yun. 

“No, not yet. What is your courtesy name?” Zhao Yun replied.

“It’s in a different language, but most often people address me as Zhongyi” he smiled. Zhao Yun had every wish to make some kind of suitable reply, then he remembered the dream he had. Although the person in his dream didn’t look like Concubine Zhou and he had genuine emotions. Concubine Zhou held his hand and wrote out his supposed name, though he couldn’t understand it. It was illegible to him, but he noticed there are a lot of swirls in his name. 

A glimmer of chain caught Zhao Yun’s interest, through the low cut gown that Concubine Zhou has worn, his neck is adorned by a golden locket with an inscription of another language on it. Inside of the locket, there’s a small piece of jade in it, which could be seen through. “Do you have a locket yourself? You keep on looking at it.”

Zhao Yun blushed, seized by embarrassment he lowered his head and tried to take his hand away from the concubine, but he held onto him strongly. Then he looked up and felt something cold on his hands, and realised that Concubine Zhou had given him the locket. 

“No I can’t accept this, this is too precious,” he argued, trying to force it back onto the owner. He heaved another sigh and gently shoved the locket back onto Concubine Zhou. “I don’t want it, I was just curious,” he went on. Concubine Zhou stared at him with unsmiling hazel eyes, fixed straight onto him. “I don’t want it either, take it, pawn it off if you want,” he uttered.

Concubine Zhou took advantage of his silence and decided to tie the locket around Zhao Yun’s neck for him, with a resounding clink. 

“The locket compliments your hair. Now that it is morning, I can clearly see your hair colour is a bit different in every angles, sometimes it appears as golden to me but other times it appears as brown, depending on the sunlight. You didn’t dye your hair I presume. Sorry to ask but, do you hail from another country?” Concubine Zhou resumed playing with his brown locks, not paying attention to his tensed shoulders. 

“My ancestors are from Ava Khi,” he finally said. 

“And mine, from Western Shu,” Concubine Zhou grinned. He pointed towards the locket and bent down to whisper in Zhao Yun’s ears. “Borgun..Lishen. That’s my father’s name, my mother is Lingrong,”.

“Your surname is not Zhou? Is that your…” Zhao Yun trailed off.

“Yes it is a name I use for travelling here for reasons I can’t tell you. But dear me, you’re from Ava Khi, and you don’t even have an inkling of what the Wei Guo plans to do with your people,” the man hissed, and gripped tightly on Zhao Yun’s shoulders. His eyes bore into Zhao Yun’s dark brown eyes. Zhao Yun felt the hairs on the back of neck stand up, and shivered under the judgmental expression the concubine had for him. 

“People here have been living under the pretense that our Lord is a competent man, but eventually this will bring us despair. Right now, or perhaps tomorrow, the men sent by Imperial Noble Consort Narin will arrive,” he said. 

“W-What do you mean?” Zhao Yun stuttered out.

“We all know that the last Royal Imperial Noble Consort Hui was in charge of an army himself, but he passed away due to natural causes. His younger brother, took his place instead and became the official regent of the Inner palace. Thus, we all saw the parades a few months ago back then. When the carriages arrived and travelled through the entire country. This is what I meant, the moment the late Emperor’s consort passed away, the power has been shifted onto someone whose power benefits from destroying Western Shu. Essentially, through Western Shu they could gain access to the borders of Ava Khi. Don’t you understand? The Wei Empire is a puppet monarchy controlled by the Ma clan,” he finished. 

Zhao Yun gaped at him, he had no idea that such complex political issues had undergone while he’s living in ignorance, hoping that Xiao Qu would get a post as a judge, or even become a senator. Which led him to ask, “what about Senator Shui? These military campaigns can’t be allowed if she doesn’t find them to be abiding by the constitution”.

Concubine Zhou, or Zhongyi, had smirked at his response. “It seems you did learn something from Xiao Qu’s school. Yes, one of the current High Senators are loyal to Emperor Wei. But she’s only one out of five, and we don’t know if the other five had defected to the Ma clan”.

“Why does Imperial Noble Consort Narin have so much power then? Surely, the Emperor wouldn’t think to allow him to have an army of his own, if he weren’t skilled in that area!”. At these words, Zhongyi placed a hand over his mouth and told the servants to leave them alone. 

“I’m saying this once, you should be careful of this place, there are people out there sent to swallow people from Ava Khi whole. If you aren’t careful... _ your clan would be massacred _ ”.

Zhao Yun gaped at him, and he felt unsettled to see fear in Zhongyi’s eyes, his typical cold eyes were now shifted down. Avoiding his gaze, Zhongyi wiped at his eyes, and gave a choked back sob. For a moment, he showed such weakness which made Zhao Yun feel sympathy for him, he wanted to reach out and hug the older man to offer him some sense of comfort. The resignation didn’t last long, as Zhongyi hardened up and looked at him directly in the eye. “I’m the only one left, and they’re going to come for me soon”. 


	4. I'll accompany you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhao Yun's fatal flaw is his sense of heroism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait and sorry for everything that happens in this chapter  
> SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION TOO!!!

The handmaidens outside were looking down, slowly retreating back to the entrance of the Palace of Longevity, along with the guardsmen. Soft, peachy pink and silky clothing were blown by the wind in the dark, the maidens shivered under the breeze. The guardsmen yawned, and made attempts to keep their eyes open for any external threats. Inside the Palace of Longevity, the green board with intricate calligraphy in a middle-eastern language shone in the moonlight. The gold lettering as well as the auspicious flower plants in the garden, gave off a solemn mood. The Palace of Longevity belongs to a lower-ranked concubine, his official title is Precious Aixin. He hailed from the Hitara group clan, and married into the royal family when he was eighteen. Moans and gasps could be heard from the inner bedroom of Precious Aixin. In the heat of the moment, Emperor Wei grasped the bare neck of Aixin gently, and leant down to kiss his shoulder blades. Aixin moaned out loud and tensed his grip on the curtains as the Emperor roughly pounds him from behind. His thighs and calves have lost their strength already, only his grip on the curtains are keeping him from collapsing onto the creaky bed. The broad yellow shawl used to wrap around him are abandoned on the ground. He avoided covering himself immediately despite his minor embarrassment. Aixin’s hair fell loose a while ago, long thick strands of hair are stuck to his face from the sweat. 

He bit his soft red lips when the fast paced movement had placed pressure on his bruise. All that surges through his body was intense pain. Needless to say, Concubine Xia was deliberate on bumping into him yesterday. He tucked his right leg under the blankets to hide the purple bruise. He squeezed his eyes shut at the sensation of the Emperor finishing and eventually rolled over to the side in fatigue. After tonight’s transgressions, he could imagine the Royal Imperial Noble Consort Narin to be very disappointed with him. The Emperor was unresponsive as usual, and treated his nightly affairs as obligations to fulfill. What was once whole had been stolen away by the late Honourable Hui. Aixin curled up at his husband’s side, a frown marred his face as he contemplated meaninglessly about the past. 

“That bruise on your leg...how did you get it?”the other man asked amidst the pants and huffs.

“In reply to your Majesty, it was an accident. Concubine Xia lost his footing and was too close to Zikang, so I stepped in front,” he replied. 

The Emperor hummed in response. They laid together on the bed side by side, barely touching each other, almost as if they are strangers. 

“Zikang is turning three in about a week,” Emperor Wei whispered, barely loud enough for bedchamber attendant to hear.

“Indeed Your Majesty,”Aixin said.  _ Our son is turning three,  _ he corrected in his mind. 

All the love that was there before when Emperor Wei saw Aixin giving out his paper crafted tigers to Concubine Xia, whom back then was known as Promising Yue, had dissipated when they decided to have a child together. The circumstances surrounding the first meeting had been like a dream, the warmth of the sun left him feeling dazed. Back then, he was susceptible to the conniving schemes of other low ranking concubines in the inner palace, but his naivety had somewhat moved the Emperor. Emperor Wei saw his goodwill from when he would also give gifts to the newly arrived concubines, despite receiving almost next to nothing from the higher ranked consorts due to his lowly status as second class attendant. Most of these are his handmade pouches from deer skin, a Hitara clan’s specialty. He eventually picked up on other leisure activities, when he had met Concubine Narin at the time. 

They were both entertaining Honourable Hui’s daughter, Lingyue, with rabbits crafted out of red paper. He never quite recovered after that, since then, he had been distracting himself with hobbies unrelated to hunting, since concubines are banned from hunting expeditions. He was uneducated on how to pleasure a man, and he didn’t have any intention of trying to compete against the others.  Their bright brown eyes glimmered with determination, while his dull blue eyes had managed to beguile the Emperor. It was only when they decided to start a family, he realised that love wasn’t enough to keep him sane. He proceeded to be promoted up a rank, earning the title Precious Aixin after the birth of their son by a trusted surrogate. The Emperor didn’t love him, he found him interesting for a moment which is enough to gain favour. He also never trusted him, a disadvantage which every concubines took advantage of. They even had the nerve to accuse him of infidelity in front of the Emperor! However, when the Emperor, his husband, took hold of his chin and slapped him across the face for the accusations. He remembered what he said, the words which would haunt him for years.

“When I see your face now, it fills me with disgust,” he said in a menacing tone. 

Ever since, Emperor Wei never pay him a visit, nor did he summon him to his bedchambers until tonight. He was so used to being starved from affection, it didn’t faze him, only that the night was extremely cold without his silk robes. His teeth chattered which the Emperor had mistaken for nervousness, and was much gentler in the beginnings of the intercourse. He proceeded to caress his arms and waist, Aixin couldn’t bear to look up. The tinge of admiration in the Emperor’s eyes made him feel sick to the stomach. He felt like he was one of the deers being eyed on by Hitara’s hunters. Soon after he’s stripped from his clothing, he would be skinned slowly, and his carcass left to consumption or crafting tools. He laid there on the bed motionless, allowing the Emperor to do as he pleases. His lithe body was subjected to more fondling, before he was thrown onto his stomach roughly. 

The power dynamic never changed, he wasn’t his husband, he was his superior, his god. Someone whom stands on heavens grounds, everyone else are ants. That was their relationship, the only relationship they can have. Poor Hitara Taici, his own ‘husband’ had never been candid with him about their strained relationship, it would’ve saved him from years of anguish. Zikang, his own blood, he’s only a half being, the Hitara blood had devalued his own son’s ability to be seen as a worthy prince.  _ I have given up a long time ago, I was so alone. It was me against everyone else, but you disappointed me the most, because you stood on their side.  _

He closed his eyes, and willed himself to sleep. He has to rest to face Royal Imperial Noble Consort Narin tomorrow, if not for himself, for his son. He’d be darned if he let that monster touch a single hair on Zikangs’ head. 

  
  


A black and white spotted cat was sprawled out on the grounds, enjoying the rare sunlight in the afternoon. Zhao Yun’s nemesis didn’t twitch when loud footsteps approached, too used to the ruckus in the servants abodes. Tail swished back and forth lazily, Botong blinked languidly when it felt a crowd of humans walking towards the Sun’s massive estate. A large blistered hand stroked its fur, Botong narrowed his eyes and purred into the stranger’s touch. He allowed his hand to be sniffed by the cat and scratched behind its ears. The cats’ nose twitched and Botong clamped his sharp teeth on the chainmail. 

“Let go, let go, please let go,” Huang Wei whispered. He petted the cat, adding a bit more pressure at the end to distract its attention from his armour. 

“Oi, put your gloves back on and get moving!” Dugu Qieluo called out. 

The soldiers shifted and looked left to right, Dugu Qieluo glared right back at them. One of the soldiers were about to move until Cao Pin’s hand shot out and stopped Qing Lu from stepping ahead of their commander. None of them said anything, but Cao Pin held her sharp gaze against Dugu Qieluo. Her shoulders are squared and her back is completely straight, her arms remained fidgety at her sides. The facedown made everyone else feel uncomfortable, Qing Lu stepped back and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Kitty, kitty, do you have a name?” Huang Wei asked. The cat meowed and head butted his palms in an attempt to scent him.

Huang Wei stood up and placed his gloves back on, he waved Cao Pin over and motioned towards the baggage the horse is carrying. “Get the imperial decree first, announce it, then we will see if elimination is necessary,” he ordered. 

“Everyone act as if this is our sole mission, after we have obtained the...lieutenant, we arrest the judge on the accounts of corruption,” Dugu Qieluo shouted towards the group at the back.

“Exactly, we seize him, then the family assets. Oh, leave the daughter alone, we’re not savages,” 

Cao Pin nodded and held up the banner as they marched on forth towards the mansion, people walked away from the commotion, minding their own business. The guards outside froze at the sight of their blue banner, the one with the long ponytail stepped forward, visibly shaken.

“What are you here for?” the guard asked.

“Cao Pin, the decree,” Huang Wei motioned. The guards began to kneel down on their knees as Cao Pin untied the string binding the heavy scroll. 

“The Emperor had made a decision to personally select Yisi, member of the Borgun clan and son of General Lishen of the second class, to become one of the noblemen residing in the inner palace. The Emperor himself bestow the Imperial rank of Promising Concubine for Yisi and the royal title ‘Wan’. Borgun Yisi may step out here and humbly thank the Emperor for his grace and generosity. Orders to retrieve Promising Wan has been given approval by Royal Chief Commander of the Blue Banner, Consort Narin,” Cao Pin read out and flipped the scroll over to display multiple horses in midst of galloping, in blue ink. The seal itself was unfamiliar for an Emperor’s imperial decree. The servants stood up and lowered their heads as they opened the gates allowing the soldiers to move in, an ominous mood filled the entire estate immediately. 

One of the guards went on to whisper to Liu Xin, as she was the nearest maidservant. 

“The soldiers are looking for someone named Borgun Yisi, do you think we have anyone with such a name here?”

“I haven’t a clue, I will let Madame Guo know. Go back to your post,” Liu Xin replied. She frowned as she walked briskly towards the main building, where she could only assume Madame Guo is in the middle of serving Lady Sun.

On the other side of the estate, Zhao Yun pried Zhongyi’s hands away from his face. 

“What are you saying? Why are you here?” 

Zhongyi thrusted his hands aide. “I haven’t killed anyone, I haven’t done anything to go against the wishes of the Wei Empire, other than being from another ethnic group. I fear that I am being persecuted on the grounds of being from Western Shu,” he admitted.

Zhao Yun was stunned and at loss for words. Concubine Zhou, or Zhongyi, was hunched over the vanity table, and he took shallow breaths. His eyes were glazed over, and not focused on any object, dashing in multiple directions without blinking. His eyebrows furrowed and he swore if he bit his lips any harder it would draw blood. 

Suddenly, the doors were busted open by a panting Madame Guo. 

“What is the matter Madame Guo?” Zhao Yun managed to speak out. 

“There are soldiers outside, they’re looking for a man named Borgun Yisi. He’s summoned to the inner palaces to become the Emperor’s concubine, that’s what I have been told by Liu Xin!” 

Zhao Yun didn’t look back to see Zhongyi’s reaction, he gulped and took a step forward.

“Are they searching the entire mansion for him?”

“Nay, they’re on a manhunt for him. They have even seized the Lord and his family, they’re kneeling outside at the entrance. Lord Sun is being suspected of withholding valuables from the Emperor,” 

“Bullshit!” Zhongyi cried out. He smacked his palm against the table, knocking off the cosmetic powder containers. 

The red powder spilled over staining the green carpet with its exuberant colour. Zhongyi fell on his knees in a resigned manner, holding onto one of the table legs for support. The bird like hairclip pinning his bun into place has loosened, eventually it also fell onto the floor with a clunk. There was something about seeing Zhongyi, whom is so usually calm and reserved, but all his walls have crumbled leaving him vulnerable. Zhao Yun wanted to reach out to him, he wanted to believe that this is all a dream. He couldn’t hear what Madame Guo said afterwards.

“If you weren’t here, none of this would’ve happened,” Zhao Yun said.

Zhongyi looked up at him, his notorious cold facade is back which had startled Zhao Yun. He brushed off his auburn hair, and clipped his hair back into place. Then, directing towards his attentions to Madame Guo he asked, “Did they hold up blue banners?”

“Yes, and the imperial decree was marked by a seal which definitely didn’t belong to the Emperor,”

Zhongyi turned to address Zhao Yun. “Don’t worry, I won’t let them harm the Sun family,” he said with a stern tone.

“What are you going to do?”

“Turn myself in of course. And convince the cavalry to not curbstomp this estate just because Lord Sun Feng is incompetent, his wife and daughter shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences for that,” 

Zhao Yun mulled over his words for a moment, the cold and rugged exterior of Zhongyi is back. Or should he call him Yisi? He has no idea, all these people with all these names, they’re like layers of onions. A pain to peel off, not worth the effort.

“Thanks for all your hard work Madame Guo, and I’m sorry for all the trouble I have caused,” Zhongyi smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. 

Zhao Yun hurried after Zhongyi, both of them running in the direction of the entrance to the Sun’s building. In mid-way, Zhao Yun saw that Zhongyi has abandoned his high heeled sandals in favour of running on foot, as the sandals weren’t made for the purpose of running but dainty walking. Zhao Yun ran faster, they passed the ponds and the stone statues of turtles in the courtyards.

Various thoughts passed through his head,  _ what are they going to do? What about Xiao Qu? Is she being punished by the soldiers? No, I won’t let that happen. _

When they have reached the entrance, Zhao Yun saw Xiao Qu kneeling down on the cold stone grounds in front of the soldiers like the rest of her parents. Zhongyi, Yisi, Concubine Zhou or whatever misfortune he is, stopped running and called out to one of the soldiers. Zhao Yun began walking towards Xiao Qu, trying his best to push through the hordes of servants.

“Xiao Qu! Xiao Qu!” he repeatedly called out. The little girl is in tears, her long silk sleeves were wet from her non-stop crying. She didn’t plead for her innocence, all she could do was to cry in that position of hers, and shield herself away from the long spears.

“Don’t touch her!” he yelled out to one of the soldiers. The soldier was startled and she placed her spear in front of him, stopping Zhao Yun in his tracks. “Go back, we’re here for Borgun Yisi” Cao Pin demanded. The woman gripped her golden spear and her large figure has blocked Zhao Yun from pursuing the family further.

Zhao Yun turned to look back at Zhongyi, whom remained still and standing. His eyes were drawn to the larger soldier, a commander he presumed. The rugged exterior and same shade of hazel coloured eyes lead Zhao Yun to believe that the man is also of Western Shu ethnicity. 

“You may do the honours, Commander Huang” Dugu Qieluo gestured towards the unmoving concubine. His pomegranate red gown was dirtied with mud at the ends.  

“You don’t trust me, is that it?” Huang Wei responded.

“Not that, that’s not what I meant to say. You two are part of the same ethnicity, even though you are only half on your mother's side. It’s reasonable for us to suspect that you might sympathise with Borgun Yisi on the account of your shared...cultural background,”

_ This is ridiculous,  _ Zhao Yun thought. The man grabbed hold of his halberd and strided over to Zhongyi’s side. 

Xiao Qu closed her eyes, covering her ears with her hands as everyone took a sharp intake of breath. The wind was sliced through, and before they knew it, Zhao Yun was running towards Zhongyi’s direction, screaming out obscenities. 

Cao Pin dropped her spear with a resounding thunk. 

“What do you think you are doing?” Dugu Qieluo yelled out.

Zhongyi grasped his bleeding face, and squeezed his eyes shut to avoid getting blood into his eyes. He felt his lips and nose splitting apart. His head felt like it was being squeezed, and the pressure only made him feel disoriented. He could only feel the blood drip down his face, and two hands clutching onto his waist, slowly loosening their grip. He then heard a body sliding onto the ground.

Before he knew it, the void grabbed him away from the light. 

“YOU SATISFIED NOW?” Huang Wei shouted, and tossed his halberd aside. Cao Pin went over to lift up Zhongyi’s limp body, and felt his pulse. 

“He’s alive” she said.

“That’s the point of this mission, let’s go,” Huang Wei proceeded to take off his helmet.

“What about the other one? We should arrest him!” Dugu Qieluo replied.

“Him? The one that tried to help? Let’s take them both in, we’ll say the other boy is his servant,” Cao Pin answered. She ordered the other soldiers to step away from the Sun family, and grabbed the blue banners away.

They all got back on their horses, while Zhao Yun and Zhongyi are placed into a carriage, where Zhongyi was supposed to be the only occupant. 

_ If that boy hadn’t interfered, Yisi would’ve died from his injuries,  _ Huang Wei thought to himself. He  glanced away from the unconscious boy, as they rode away from the estate.

“This is not what the Emperor ordered,” Dugu Qieluo spoke out and stared at Huang Wei with hatred in his blue eyes. 

“We are the blue banners. Chief Narin always has the last word,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are appreciated


	5. Teatime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for how long I took to update. I have been stuck in a rut for a while so I hope I can update more often now that I have much more free time!

The guards glanced at the soles of the golden shoes, then slowly advanced upwards to see the ceremonial gown worn by Honourable Hui during the esteemed wedding ceremony, which was celebrated with great pomp. However, the gown was modified to be adjusted to his younger brothers slight frame, and there was an additional blue horse embroidered onto the chest. Delicate nail guards adorned with blue jewels were longer and sharper than usual, the nail guards reaching over a few inches over the consort’s nails. A pale hand tapped Precious Aixin on the shoulder, the latter offered his arm up as the carriers lowered the sedan chair. Precious Aixin held up Royal Imperial Noble Consort Narin’s elbows and helped him to adjust to the ground as he stepped off his sedan chair. In contrast to his superior, Precious Aixins autumn gown was longer and is decorated with yellow chrysanthemums, and his hair arranged into a bun, with a amethyst coloured coronet binding it. A small hairpiece resembling a swallow, followed by thin and long tassels, dangled from his coronet. 

Narin took off his high-heeled shoes and placed them in the hands of his handmaidens, as well as removing his headdress, the golden pheasants and jade ornaments symbolised his high rank, just below Honourable Husband. When he removed his headdress, his hair was left tied into a small knot, leaving his long black hair hanging. Two silver hair clips remained at the sides of his head, Aixin could not help but stare at the few strands of gray hairs which were hidden by his headdress. Even without his shoes on, Narin was slightly taller than Aixin which made him the tallest consort out of the harem as Aixin, due to his Hitara’s blood, was born quite tall already.

Narin grasped his flowing red robes together, and motioned for Aixin to accompany him to walk upstairs to the High Court, where the current Emperor is discussing Western Shu relations with the minister of foreign affairs. 

“You all can wait here, or go back to your headquarters, as long as you don’t cause trouble for anyone else,” Narin said to the servants. Most of them decided to retreat back to their rooms to indulge in their leisurely activities, and the others whom remained were the ones whom had been serving Narin since childhood. 

“Shan’er, you can walk back to your room and take a nap. Your eye bags look terrible today,” he addressed his handmaiden. Shan Ling nodded and bowed before the two men. 

Their steps went cluck against the ground, Aixin walked behind Narin and sought to catch up to his pace, except his shoes were not made for long distance walking. 

Narin walked upstairs like as if he is an outsider, an outlier. Rather than walking at his leisure, he stomped up the stairs with a determined look in his brown eyes. When he had reached the top, Aixin grabbed the handrails to avoid toppling over. Narin was tapping his foot against the ground rapidly.

“How was last night?” Narin asked.

“In response to your royal highness, it was uneventful,”

Narin looked straight at Aixin out of the corner of his eye, the rest of his body remained still.

“He mentioned Zikang’s birthday, that’s all” Aixin continued.

“Of course, I reminded him of that a few days before. He was surprised at how fast Zikang is growing up, that little boy is so full of energy isn’t he? Though the Emperor has five children, he only favours my niece,” Narin said.

“I don’t think that’s true, the Emperor loves all his children just as much as he loves the rest of his concubines,” 

Narin smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “If it makes you feel better that way,” he said.

Then, Narin signalled for the guards to open the doors and allow them both in, with Aixin following closely behind him and avoiding the cold gazes of the guards.

The court was spacious, in the centre is where the Emperors’ thrones lies and beside him are the banners of his military units. The blue one was the largest of them all, with a white horse in mid-jump painted onto the dark cerulean fabric. In the middle, there was a row of wooden tables, covered by cloths marked with the dragon. The ministers would sit in front of the Emperor in the middle. Around them are the five senators from the high court, their seats are separated into five sections in a circle. Behind them are the galleries, where the judges sit in order of highest rank to lowest. The court was empty today with the exception of the Emperor, whom is in discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

“Good afternoon Emperor, and to you too, Minister Yelun,” Narin addressed them. He bowed slightly for the Emperor and nodded his acknowledgement of the elderly minister.

Minister Yelun adjusted her hat from falling as she gracefully rose up to kowtow for the consort. Precious Aixin kneeled on the ground and lowered his head for a second, only to rise up again when the Emperor nodded his permission. 

“May I inquire to what your discussion is about,Your Imperial Majesty?” Narin asked. His smile was too saccharine for his own good. 

“We were talking about opening up a route through Western Shu to allow merchants from Illyahat to safely travel through, rather than getting on those expensive and dangerous boats. Though I wonder whether Fourth Father would approve of this. To be quite honest with you Narin, I assume that once my mother has abdicated it would meant that her unfavoured concubines live in the temples and attend to religious rituals. I believe my mother built a temple solely for the religious sect in Western Shu, to allow my Fourth Father to feel at home. Though, no one had been there ever since the construction,” Emperor Wei responded. 

Minister Yelun wiped sweat from her forehead and looked down, as the Emperor turned to face her. 

“Minister Yelun, you have been serving my Fourth Father for years before your post as minister. I must ask you to do a favour for me, pay my Fourth Father a visit and ask him this one question in my place. Do you wish to become the Emperor? That is what I want to ask, and whether or not he answers, I would never wage a war against my own family,” he continued.

Narin smiled and reached out to hold the hands of the shaking Minister Yelun. Aixin continued to stare at the walls, trying to pretend the conversation never took place.

“Family matters should be sorted out by the royal family themselves, and my brother was part of the family. Isn’t that right? He was the Honourable Husband of the Emperor, Minister Yelun. Now, don’t bow down, get up and listen to what else the Emperor has to say. You see, we, are very straightforward people. We do not like to fight involving outsiders, we prefer to resolve this conflict in a very peaceful manner. Isn’t that right Aixin?” 

Aixin took a deep breath before responding. “Yes that is right, I have never met the Fourth Consort Dowager before, but I know Zikang is not of Western Shu ethnicity. Therefore, I worry for his safety. In my opinion, I believe that Fourth Consort Dowager wishes to become an Emperor, not of this empire, but of a hypothetical ‘Western Shu Empire’, pardon my honesty”.

“And now, my children are in danger because we all know Fourth Father is plotting to overthrow me, and harm the royal family. Minister Yelun, please, take a seat, your knees are shaking too much. Maid! Brew some tea! Grab the Imperial Doctor here too, Minister Yelun is about to die of a seizure” the Emperor ordered. He tapped his knuckles against the hard wood of the table, and rested his chin on his hand in a bored fashion.

“Your Imperial Majesty, I, Minister Yelun, have been in service of Fourth Consort Dowager Preyah for many years, but the Empire of Wei will always be of the highest importance, above the wishes of Consort Dowager. Please, I plead for my innocence,” Minister Yelun begged.

Aixin winced at the raw emotion the Minister is exhibiting, clearly the elder woman was taken aback by the straightforward personalities of the Commander in chief and the Emperor. He felt sympathetic yet he wished for the Emperor to get to the point.

“Why are you begging? The Emperor haven’t finished talking yet,” Narin chided.

The tea was brought in by a silent maid immediately, her footsteps were dainty on the polished tiles of the floors. She placed a teacup gently in front of Minister Yelun and poured forth the steaming tea. She remained impassionate in her expression, and bowed slightly at the present nobility, before taking her leave.

Aixin coughed into his hands and placed a hand on Minister Yelun’s small shoulder. He lifted the teacup up and handed it to her. Minister Yelun slowly took the teacup away from him, and cradled the porcelain with her two hands.

“We don’t do things discreetly like the previous Empress Meng, we mustn’t beat around the bush when Consort Dowager Preyah had ordered the assassination of the Ma clan,” Aixin explained, sounding awfully rehearsed.

“By marriage, the Ma clan were my in-laws, and I was deeply saddened to watch Honourable Hui collapse on the ground in despair when he learnt that evening, his family members have ‘drank’ themselves to death,” 

The Emperor rubbed his temples with his index fingers before taking another deep breath. He blinked rapidly and looked up at the blue banner with the wild horse emblazoned on it.

Before Aixin knew it, Narin turned around and started walking out of the assembly. He was about to walk after him, but he tripped over his high heeled shoes. Aixin fell down onto the hard tiles with a loud thud, his hands took most of the impact of the fall. Minister Yelun remained in her seat, holding the teacup.

“That tea is getting cold, you should drink it soon,” the Emperor said coldly.

Aixin stared at the exit, and slowly reached out his hand. “Narin,” he whispered.

“Your Imperial Majesty, back then, I was in my study, at the night of the massacre,” Minister Yelun finally said.

“I’m sure of that, but you knew about the plot didn’t you?”

“There was no plot-”

“It wasn’t only the Ma Clan, the Jungs, the Jiaqings, the Murongs, they were all killed over the course of spring. I remember clearly, they were under my father’s banners. Most of the clansmen were generals in command, under my father’s red, yellow and white banners. Now, they are all replaced with Preyah’s kinsmen. It was so obvious, but my mother was tired. She was so tired of everything. My mother sacrificed so much for this empire, she sought for Western Shu’s alliance through marriage to maintain the high living standard for the citizens. But Preyah doesn’t know jackshit about what she was asking for, she asked for help for the displaced families of the dead soldiers. They only gave them rations, rations! Does he think he can solve every problem with money? Currently, I regret not sending Preyah to exile. Now, I have a list of corrupt politicians here, and the ones whom were bribed by Preyah. Minister Yelun, your cousins were the handmaidens for Preyah when he was Noble Consort at the time. I’m sure you have the intelligence and talents for being elected as a Minister, but my mother didn’t elect you herself,” the Emperor continued.

His wide brown eyes panned across the large assembly court, examining every detail thoroughly. 

“This assembly is full of rats, as the Emperor, I must exterminate them”.

Aixin closed his eyes, and kicked the foot of the chair Minister Yelun was sitting on, causing her to lose her balance. He quickly got up despite the pain in his arms and legs, his right hand lunging straight towards her neck. With a tight grip on her neck, he stuck a finger down her mouth without warning. Using his free hand, he grabbed the teacup and poured the liquid into her throat. The process was messy, Minister Yelun gasped for air. Her grey eyes rolled backwards, she made several gargling noises as she reluctantly swallowed the tea. Her long and yellow fingernails clawed at Aixin’s arms, enough to leave bleeding red marks. 

Soon, blood came pouring out of her nose. Then, her eyes. Eventually, she started to cough out blood as Aixin continued to have her head in a chokehold. The Emperor watched the spectacle with an impassive face. 

Consequently, Aixin let go of Minister Yelun’s writhing body. She falls onto the ground, her thin arms stretched out towards the Emperor.

“Kuh, kuh, kuh” she managed to gag out. The incoherent syllables made the Emperor raise his eyebrow in disdain.

“Huh, the poison is slower than I thought,” he murmured.

Minister Yelun thrashed on the ground for a minute, her eyes concentrated on the yellow banner on the right side of the Emperor’s table. The banner was bright yellow, like the colour of the sun. In a moment of agony, time stopped for her.

The Emperor stood up, and looked over at her body. The purple blotchy skin of hers made Aixin wince, he couldn’t stand to look at her. 

“We must let the yellow bannermen know of her untimely death,” the Emperor finally said. There was an uncomfortable pause, the whole palace was quiet. It was as if time had really stopped for them two.

Aixin scoffed and ignored the outreached hand from the Emperor and stood up straight himself.  _ The yellow banner is no longer the ‘Yelun banner’. _


	6. Guilt

Zhao Yun woke up to see a pair of blue eyes staring at him. He winced when he tried to touch his forehead, feeling the bandages wrapped tightly around his head. He wanted to ask what's going on, but he saw a wrinkled hand with burn scars.

"Grandpa?"

Precious Aixin had to be held back by his servant Pei from murdering Zhao Yun with the flower vase.

"I'm 27!" he hissed out, long nails attempting to claw out the injured boys' face. 

Zhao Yun gripped his head as he winced from the noise. Then he promptly fell back onto the rock hard bed with a thud. 

* * *

 

A young child about the same age as Xiao Qu peeked from the windows while standing on his tip toes. The boy was dressed in a grey garment with red robes, and hair tied up neatly into a bun. How he managed to sneak past the guards was obvious, he's one of the princes and this palace was his home. He long ditched his maid after the tutor retired to use the bathroom, concentration long abandoned. 

He drew back and hid behind the bushes as one of his fathers maids walked out. They carried basins filled with hot water and bandages with dried blood on them. Zi Kang widened his eyes and wondered what happened inside, his father isn't sick or anything right? 

"I'm home.." he whispered. Zi Kang opened the wooden doors and stepped over the threshold. He found himself staring at a mans body, his face covered by thin white sheets. Zi Kang screamed and bumped into the table. 

"Ouch," he winced.  _It couldn't be dad right? Dad isn't sick, he can't be. I would've known._.

Zi Kang kneeled beside the bed and slowly reached out for the sheets covering the stranger. 

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his and the man sat up. The sheets fell down and revealed a big, nasty and ugly scar across his otherwise foreign face.

 _Gods, his skin is darker than mine!_ Which doesn't say much, as Zi Kang's father ethnic group are known for their relatively snow-white skin. 

Zhao Yun stared at Zi Kang, most notably his blue eyes, which he had never seen before. Zi Kang thought Zhao Yuns' face was hideous, compared to the consorts of the royal harem he was used to seeing. It was like dust and gold. 

"Who are you?" Zhao Yun finally asked. 

"Who are you? I'm the master of this household! And you're an intruder. Are you a bandit perhaps? Why would my father house a bandit?" Zi Kang exploded with questions. 

 _Shit, where am I? This place looks so regal and, there's a kid whose clothes cost more than my annual salary!_ Zhao Yun thought to himself.

"I don't remember," Zhao Yun articulately said. Suddenly all the questions about the universe are answered with this one response. Zi Kang resisted the urge to facepalm himself.

"Well this is my house, my palace! How did you even get here?" 

"Like I said, I don't remember. My name is Zhao Yun by the way."

 _Huh, like the warrior._ Zi Kang remembered one of his history lessons which mentioned a young soldier by the same name. Not sure if it's written the same way though.

It would appear that Zhao Yun found himself within the palace of one of the Imperial Consorts. He glanced at the intricate details of the penmanship, it probably said something about its owner, if he could read. The young master in front of him must be one of their children, if not, someone born into nobility at least.

He wrinkled his nose at the stench of raw blood in the air. That explained why there were a couple of hunting tools on the vanity dresser. Or, it could be his blood which he can feel it drying on his face as he wrinkled his nose, feeling his skin crack from the movement.

 A continuous sound of footsteps from outside alerted them. Zi Kang got up and brushed off invisible dust specks from his clothing with care. Smiling, he opened the doors and ran out. "Father!" he cried out.

Aixin hugged Zi Kang back, but his son pulled back and retched. "Father, you smell like-" he coughed once more-"like blood and sweat". 

"I went out hunting," Aixin explained. He patted his son on the back.

"Does Royal Father know about you going out for hunting?"

"No". He smiled with his eyes, crinkling at the edges.

Pei nudged Aixin and motioned towards the opened doors, where a supposed sleeping Zhao Yun was lying.

"Zi Kang, did you talk to the man on the bed?" Aixin asked.

"Yes father!, was I not supposed to?"

 _He's awake again._ Aixin thought. Without a word he walked past Zi Kang with Pei and her entourage following behind. 

"In case you're wondering, I wouldn't hesitate to bash your head in again if you call me old," he said as he strode in the master room.

Aixin stopped and looked at the scar across the boys' face. It was bleeding red, just diagonally across the left side of his cheek and nose. The scar didn't diminish his looks or anything. He looked similar to the Emperor as well, the skin tone and the eye colour. 

Zhao Yun panicked at what to say or to do in front of the nobleman and his presumed son. His head is still throbbing in pain and the sensation travelled to his legs as well. He looked down at his lap, fingers interlacing each other. The memories of what happened aren't coming back to him either, what has happened with the Sun residence? The family? What about Xiao Qu? He remembered there was a newcomer from Western Shu. There were people sent to get him, but he can't remember why. His eyes were tired and his breathing shallow.  _Was I punished? I can taste death,_ he thought.

He shuddered when the man gazed at him with his striking blue eyes. He had never met a man with black hair and blue eyes, it was so rare he can't help but stare. 

"Go back to sleep," he ordered, "-then I will ask Narin to come get you, I have no idea what he wants with a boy like you". 

Zhao Yun winced and wondered how he would be able to convince the man he's asleep when clearly this situation had him stunned. Would meeting Narin solve all his problems?

"Did he die?" Zhao Yun slowly asked. He remembered an image of a gorgeous man with the emotional spectrum of a rock.  _What was his name!_

Zikang gasped and looked at his father. Aixin shrugged, leaving his leather pouches on the table. He slowly unwrapped his bandages around his fingers, to prevent blisters. He could  change clothes but decided against it. He only took off the long opaque scarf wrapped around his neck without the servants help. A few of the new girls fiddled with her fingers. Pei would later tell her that Hitara Aixin is not used to being pampered, don't touch a hair on his head unless they value their fingers.

He left the room along with Zikang, holding his little hands, leaving the servants behind to tend to Zhao Yun.

"Father, what is going on?" he asked. 

"I don't know, I was asked by Brother Narin to take care of him," Aixin replied with a grimace. He was the closest to Narin out of the harem, and thus it would rouse suspicions if he didn't address the older man with a familial term. He pressed Zikang against his side, shielding the side of his face when they passed the entrance, bracing himself for what's to come. 

 _It's probably not a good idea to bring Zikang to meet him, I must leave him with Pei's sister for the time being_ , he thought.

* * *

 

 


End file.
